Snap-lock for electric-socket shells.



T. A. C. BOTH.

SNAP LOCK FOR ELECTRIC SOCKET SHELLS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 29. 1911.

I J 2 I a I 1 1 I I I WIN/88.58 INVENTOR T. A. C. BOTH.

SNAP LOCK FOR ELECTRIC SOCKET SHELLS.

APPHCATION FILED APR. 29, I911.

Patentd June 22, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 TGNJES AUGU 'T 1 G52 MASSACHUSETTS.

2am; BQT'H. or NEW YORK, N.

AND MFG. c0.v OF Bcs'mN, MASS.9.CHUSE?Z'ZE, a:

filZAf-ifiCK FOE ELECTRIi'i-SOCKFT SHELLS.

Specificatian of Letters Yatmt.

. v .1 V iiiwi 412N533. 5

Faint Appiication flied April 29, 1911. Seriai N0. wi t 0%.

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)hiv mriii-uimiy it relates to :i movai'iiu ind-11mg rin' inning one ormun: engaging an! diwn "in ilI'XIiS having :in m iciuiing nwmhvi hvtwevnLiw mnuLh of thv cap-and thv mo h f the shuii. 01 between the mouth ofhv my and (in shade huhi r ring. if vni is Br-.4

Mv im -ntinn further cunlpi'isvs (rvrtain iiOitiiin mi (-niwtrur-iinnilh'ii will be more ily i1 =wnixinfiviih-w-i'ihi-d in the: specific-winn arm puiniml nut in the claims.

I in ihv zu-wmnmnving drawings showing iihwtmiiw vinlmiiinwnts 0f mvinwntion and ii. hi h fin m rci'm-vnw numr-rais rein! in siznihu' puiflin the Rm'vini fi{: :i'(*S- Figrni'v 1 i\ :i siih vim'ntion hf mysoi'ki-t. partly UI'LAKIZ mun fur purposes of it-aw" Hint-4min n. unih0\\'in it mountvii in f! h \vhivh in QliiPfli mfltinn: Fig. i \"iiiifliw iion through the sovket Fhvii UH the lim- -2 of Fig. 1: Fig. 3 is a.(Mail pm i-viiw x'iuw 0f the preferred min of snap lurking ring: Fig. 4is a plan view f the mannvr of stamping the sections of the. lovkingziin; oilt of a blank: Fig. 5 is :1 dvir il horiz ntal swi-tinn on theline 5--5, Fig. l. shnwins miipum'ing engaging surfiwus hviwwn thvinviting! ring and the cap: Fig. 3 a side deviation of a modification,par'iiy iHUiWIi away and partly in section fm purpwws ui clearerliiubtrationg Fig. 7 is w-iiimi s tion on the line 7-7 of Fig. *1, iL-hii in the iir0 3tion of the arrow: Fig. is a (iiiilii. [WlFEfMHtiYQView of a modified finm ni' inching ring: HSQLi in the constructioniilushatw! in Fig. 6: Fig. 5) is a horiznntai section on the line 9-9 of6 nap i Um arm n Kin.

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1 Una tion of the cap 9. an inturned flange 12 serving to prevent thering from becoming disconnected from the cap and vet not preventing therelative rotation of the ring with re lation to the cap. By the aid ofthis locking ring the cap 2 may be screwed up so as to hold the husk 3in its proper position without fear of having the cooperating lockingsurfaces between the ring and shell reach a position wherein the key 4would not register with the opening 5 in the husk. After the cap hasbeen secured to the nozzle 6 and the key has been made to pass throughthe opeiiing 5 of the husk. the locking ring 10 can be readilv rotatedin its seat 111 by the finger of the operator. until the engaging end 13registers with the opening 14 in the shell 1 wherever that openinghappens to be located with relation to the original position of thespring arm 11. At the same time the cut out portion 40 of the shell willreceive the indent d portion 41 of the ring to which the. arm isconnected, preferably by being formed integral with it. Of course, whenmore than one spring arm 11 is used, th n the engaging members 13 ofeach spring arm 11 will have to be brought into register with its ovaopenings 14, as well as the indented portion 41 with its own slot 40 Ofcourse. in locating one of the engaging members 13 the others will alsobe opposite their own openings 14 so that the shell 1 will be secured bymeans of these spring arms to the locking ring 10.

To prevent the relative rotation of the shell 1 and the cap 2. I may insome cases, though not necessarilv. provide the shell and ring withcooperating locking surfaces. T hese surfaces may be formed in variousways to accomplish their desired functior. They may. for example. takethe form of a pluralitv of openings 15 in the ring and teats 16 on theinterior surface of the tap formed in anv suitable manner but preferablyby ind nting the can as shown in Fig. 5.

The arms 11, 11 are mounted within and prot cted bv the shell 1 onlvtheir engaging members 13 being exposed. their engaging surface 17cooperating ith the engaging surface 18 of the shell. The openings 14 inthe shell are .gxhstantially closed by the engaging ingmbers 13.

One portion of mv in ention consists in locating the releasing members13 beneath the mouth 118 of the cap 2 and aboue the mouth 19 of theshell 1. When a shade holder ring 20 is used these engaging members 13are located preferably between the month 118 of the cap and the shadeholder ring 20.

The advantage of such a construction is obvious. The releasing members13. 13 are brought well down beneath the mouth 118 of the can and towardthe mouth 21 of the husk 3 where they can be readily grasped and pressedin by unskilled labor. whenever it is desired to disconnect the shell 1and cap 2. \l'hile I locate the releasing member 13 in substantially theposition shown it is, of course. to be understood that it may be mountednearer the mouth 118 of the cap 2. but beneath it, or nearer the shadering holder 20 as the particular exigencies of the case may demand. Ihave found in practice that a hen these arms are located insubstantially the position shown they can be readily pressed in by thethumb and forefinger of the operator even though the entire shell issurrounded with a husk In the old construction of having a snap shellformed by serrated surfaces on the cap and shell, these surfaces. whenthe socket shell was mounted in a husk. were rendered inaccessible andit was impossible to disconnect them except by forcing a screw driver orother tool up into the husk and betu'wn the Cap and shell. This usuallvresulted in marring the cap or shell. or both of them. so that the twomembers did not again rcadilr eotipcrate so as to hold the parts inexact alinewant. if the engaging members were not entirely mined.

My locking ring mav be formed in various ways. Ireferablv. I form eachring out of two separate blanks 101, 121 which are stamped out of a shet of metal 22. Fig. 4. These blanks 121 are then curved and rivetedtogether bv the ri ets 23 as shown in Fig. 3., It is to be understood.however, that the locking rings may be formed in any suitable manner andout of one piece of ma terial if so desired. Fig. 8.

In some cases instead of using the engag ing surfaces 15 and 16. or inaddition to them I may provide wedge or inclined s-ufaces 24. 24 uponthe shell to Coiiperatc with a locking ring 26 carried bv the cap 27.The inclined surfaces 24. 24 incline in the direction of an element inthe surface of the cylindrical shell. their highest portion TT mergingsubstantially into the circum ferenee of the shell 25.

The locking ring 26 is provided with downwardlv extending spring arms 28having engaging members 29 provided w th slrts 30. 30 to receive theinwardly extending lugs 31. 31 of the shell 25. Fig. 6. This lockingring 26 is also provided with one or more inwardly projecting lugs 32,32 preferably formed l-v stamping them out of the ring. Fig. 8. Theselugs are preferablv. though not necessarily. placed near the ends of thering so that when thev cooperate with the wedge or inclined surfaces 24.24 carried by the shell, they will be caused to ride up the inclined orWedge surfaces. as the shell 25 is pressed home in the cap 27 and expandthe locking ring,26 against its seat 33 in the lower portion of the cap27 and in this nnnl frictionally hold the ring 26, with more spring armsfor locking the shell and ring together and having an engaging mem beraccessible between the mouth of the cap and the mouth of the shell.

2. In a snap lock for electric light switches the combination of ashell, a cap, a rotatable ring mounted in the cap, one or more springarms depending from the rotatable ring, a portion of the spring armsbeing accessible between the mouth of the cap and the mouth of theshell.

3. In a snap lock for electric light switches the combination of a capprovided with a rotatable ring, a shell. depending arms from therotatable ring, and means carried partly by the ring to cause the ringto automatically expand and lock the cap and locking ring together uponthe insertion of the shell.

4. In electric light sockets the combination of a cap, a rotatablemember carried by the cap and provided with one or more dependinglocking spring arms, cooperating locking surfaces carried by the ringand the shell to prevent the rotation of the ring after it has beenmoved into its adjusted position, a shell to cooperate with the caphaving one or more openings located beneath the mouth of the cap for thereception of a portion of the spring arms so that they may be readilyoperated to disengage the cap and ring.

5. In electric light sockets the combina tion of a cap provided with arotatable locking ring having one or more depending locking spring arms,a shell provided with one or more openings located beneath the mouth ofthe cap to receive the engaging members of the spring arms, said springarms closing the openings in the shell.

6. In electric light sockets the comblnation of a cap provided with arotatable locking ring having one or more depending looking spring armsand one or more indented portions, a shell provided with one or moreopenings between its ends to receive the engaging members of the springarms and provided with one or more cut out portions to receive theindented portions of the ring, said spring arms closing the openings inthe shell.

7. In electric light sockets the combination of a cap provided with arotatable locking ring having, one or more depending locking spring armsand one or more surfaces to cooperate with inclined surfaces carried bythe shell, a shell provided with inclined surfaces to cooperate with thesurfaces of the locking ring and with an opening or openings locatedbeneath the mouth of the cap to receive the operating member or membersof the spring arm or arms.

8. In electric light sockets the combination of a cap provided with arotatable locking ring having one or more depending spring armsand withone or more surfaces to cooperate with the inclined surfaces carried bythe 'shell, a shell provided with surfaces inclined in the direction ofan element in the surface of the cylindrical shell to cooperate with thecooperating surfaces carried by the ring, said shell being provided withan opening or openings located beneath the mouth of the cap to receivethe operating member or members of the locking spring arm or arms.

9. In electric light sockets the combination of a shell, a cap, androtatable automatic engaging means having a member located between themouth of the cap and the mouth of the shell which member has means tohold the cap and shell together.

TONJES AUGUST CARL BOTH Witnesses:

BENJAMIN Srnauss, THOMAS J. SLAHEW.

